The GOP's Bad Week

Today’s headlines don’t bode well for House Republicans, who are recovering from a pretty bad week last week. First up, a Los Angeles Times editorial hits the GOP for their continued conspiracy theories, even as criticism surrounding their partisan pursuit of a Benghazi Select Committee continues to grow. Check out a few highlights:

“Benghazi has already been investigated by the independent Accountability Review Board and several congressional committees, including four House panels and the Senate Intelligence Committee. Reams of documents have been produced. The evolution of the ‘talking points’ used by then-Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice in television appearances a few days after the attacks has been meticulously documented and deconstructed.”

“Yet many Republicans can't let go of conspiracy theories about Benghazi, and on Friday the House authorized the creation of a select committee to investigate the issue yet again.”

“But the committee is going forward anyway, even as the fundraising National Republican Congressional Committee is capitalizing on its creation by asking visitors to its website to sign up as ‘Benghazi Watchdogs.’ It's a sign of the Republicans' credibility problem that House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) felt obliged to promise that the committee would not be a ‘sideshow’ or a ‘circus.’ Somehow we're not reassured.”

It’s no surprise that Republicans are desperately trying to change the subject in hopes that no one notices that they’ve been forced to retire their tired Affordable Care Act talking points in the wake of growing ACA success. As the Hill puts it, “GOP goes silent on ObamaCare”:

“House Republicans have no scheduled votes or hearings on ObamaCare, signaling a shift in the party’s strategy as the White House rides a wave of good news on the law. “

“The lack of action highlights the GOP’s struggle to adjust its message now that enrollment in the exchanges beat projections and the uninsured rate is going down. Insurers also report that 80 to 90 percent of new policyholders are paying their premiums, contradicting a frequent criticism from the GOP.”

“This dynamic was laid bare last week as Republicans failed to land punches against the healthcare law in a hearing of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee. In a rare display, Democrats began to control the message as witnesses from health insurance companies rebuffed several lines of GOP questioning.”

Not the greatest way to start a district work period. Good luck at home.